Mascara applicators having a single metallic wire which is folded in a u-shaped configuration and having nylon bristles disposed therebetween are known. Generally, the u-shaped wire is twisted to form a helical core; the twisting of the core causes the bristles, or filaments, to be arranged about the core in a substantially helical or spiral pattern. See e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,760 to Gueret; U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,622 to Gueret; and U.S. Pat. No. D331,150 to Hartel.
The twisted wire applicators of the aforementioned type may comprise, for example, bristles having any one or a combination of the following cross-sectional configurations: hollow and tubular (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,425 to Hartel et al.); solid and tubular (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,760 to Gueret); or cruciform (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,622 to Gueret). Conventional bristles having any of the aforementioned cross-sectional configurations, however, fail to maximize the cosmetic product carrying surface because mascara pickup is limited to the exterior surface of the bristle; thus the product pickup and product retention is not maximized. When the product pickup and retention is insufficient, the user must reintroduce the mascara applicator into the reservoir and repeatedly stroke the eyelashes to apply a desirable amount of mascara and to obtain a uniform application of it.
Further, mascara applicators wherein the bristles are arranged in a generally spiral or helical manner are sometimes undesirable because they do not maximize the surface area which can apply the mascara to the eyelashes. For example, if the core has relatively few turns, there can be wide gaps between bristles at a predetermined location and their neighbors directly above and directly below that location. These gaps, which contains no bristles, do not pick up and carry mascara, and, as such, reduce the amount of cosmetic medium which can be applied to a user's eyelashes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,425 to Hartel attempts to provide an applicator having a wire core, wherein the bristles, when twisted, do not follow the helical pattern of the twisted wire core. Hartel discloses, however, only hollow tubular bristles, and bristles that are noncircular in cross-section and which have a plurality of longitudinal, radially extending flange or rib portions, such as a "cruciform" filament. As discussed above, these bristles fail to maximize product pickup and retention.
What is desired, therefore, is a cosmetic applicator which comprises bristles which do not follow a helical or spiral pattern when gripped by a twisted wire core, which maximize the amount of cosmetic product pickup and retention and which provide a smooth and uniform application of the cosmetic medium to the eyelashes.